Combining modular ligation and supramolecular self-assembly for the construction of star-shaped macromolecules.

A well-defined random copolymer of styrene (S) and chloromethylstyrene (CMS) featuring lateral chlorine moieties with an alkyne terminal group is prepared (P(S-co-CMS), M(n) = 5500 Da, PDI = 1.13). The chloromethyl groups are converted into Hamilton wedge (HW) entities (P(S-co-HWS), M(n) = 6200 Da, PDI = 1.

Facile C-S, S-H, and S-S bond cleavage using a nickel(0) NHC complex.

[Ni2(iPr2Im)4(COD)] 1 (iPr2Im = 1,3-di(isopropyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene) reacts at room temperature with the thioethers methyl para-tolyl sulfide, ethyl phenyl sulfide, benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene to afford the C-S bond cleavage products [Ni(iPr2Im)2(4-CH3-C6H4)(SMe)] 2, [Ni(iPr2Im)2(C6H5)(SEt)] 3, [Ni(iPr2Im)2(1,8-benzothiophenylato)] 4 and [Ni(iPr2Im)2(C,S-dibenzothiophenylato)] 5. In contrast to the reaction of thioethers or sulfoxides (reported earlier), no C-S bond cleavage was observed for the reaction of 1 with the sulfones bezothiophene-1,1-dioxide and methyl phenyl sulfone. In those cases the stable compounds [Ni(iPr2Im)2(eta2-2,3-benzothiophene-1,1-dioxide)] 6 and [Ni(iPr2Im)2(eta2-MeSO2C6H5)] 7 with a eta2-coordinated sulfone ligand have been isolated.

Four-fold click reactions: Generation of tetrahedral methane- and adamantane-based building blocks for higher-order molecular assemblies.

A modular concept for the generation of achiral and chiral non-racemic tetrahedral tectons from common precursors was developed. The tectons presented here are based on tetraphenylmethane or 1,3,5,7-tetraphenyladamantane core structures. They are obtained through high-yielding four-fold click reactions, using either the tetraazido or the tetraalkyne precursors.

Two base pair duplexes suffice to build a novel material.

Tetrahedral DNA hybrids with tetrakis(p-hydroxyphenyl)methane cores hybridize in a sequence-specific fashion at much higher temperatures than isolated linear duplexes. Dinucleotide DNA arms suffice to induce the formation of a solid at room temperature; this demonstrates the strength of multivalent binding. The graphic shows a view of a modeled assembly.